The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past

Guest Author - James Shea

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” is a remake of the 2nd Zelda game of the same name. This Zelda game is the first Zelda game people took notice of. The original Zelda, for the Original Nintendo, was considered by many to be just another RPG. Then “A Link to the Past” came out, and people took notice. This game is what allowed Zelda to survive.

The game takes place, not as a sequel to the original Zelda, but more as a “Different Storyline” thing. The three goddesses put their power into the Triforce and left it in “The Golden Land”. After some years, an opening was found, and many people went in, in search of the Triforce. They didn’t return. Only beings of great Evil emerged.

The King of Hyrule decided to gather seven sages (sound familiar, Ocarina of Time fans?) to close the gateway to the Golden Land. The gate was closed, and peace was brought to Hyrule. But strange things are happening in Hyrule since the appearance of a Sorcerer named Aghanim, who is renowned for extinguishing a huge fire of unknown origin a few years back.

One night, while Link is asleep, he hears a voice calling for help. It says “Help me…my name is Zelda…I am in the castle dungeon…” And Link goes off to save her. And that’s how it starts.

The game is the same, graphic-wise, as the Zelda for the Super Nintendo. Not that this is a bad thing- as I mentioned in the Tactics Ogre review, I like this period of graphics. They are done better than the graphics in the Game Boy/Game Boy Color games. The sound, however, has been updated, changing the little “Bloops” and such in Link’s voice to actual voice sounds of Young Link from the various N64 games. This is a great improvement.

The controls, however, are not that great. Instead of the “C-button” Item use of the N64 games, or the “A=Item 1 and B=Item 2 (for usage)” of the Game Boy Games. This game, instead, has:
-B button is for Sword (hold down to charge up)
-A button is for Item, Talking, and opening chests.
-R button is the Action Button: picking things up, talking, etc.
-L button is for map.
So it isn’t that bad, but the Item system takes getting used to.
Another feature of the Game Boy Advance is Four Swords, a multiplayer Gauntlet-like thing, played by four people with link cables. The players get rupees, the players destroy things, and so on and so forth. There are four different players maximum, different only in color. Player one is green, player two is red, player three is blue, and player four is pink. I personally have not tried this game mode, but I will when I get the chance.
Total Rating for this game: 7/10.